


Broken Wings and Healed Hearts

by EmperorMinhyun



Series: Stay Together, and We’ll Find Home [1]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, Banshee!Seungmin, Blind Character, Dragon!Changbin, Elf!Minho, Fairy!Chan, Half-shifter!Jeongin, Half-shifter!Jisung, Half-siren!Woojin, M/M, Nix!Hyunjin, Slow Burn, Violence, fairy!felix, i'm sorry felix
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-03-11
Packaged: 2019-10-14 09:35:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17506106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmperorMinhyun/pseuds/EmperorMinhyun
Summary: "The faint trickling of a stream could be heard. Seeing the opportunity to take a quick break, he limped in the direction of the water, the pain from his wounds catching up with him now that he was not currently sprinting for his life. He grits his teeth against the agony that plagued his back, rushing as quickly as his aching legs could take him."In which Felix is lost and finds a home in a group of strays.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This has been brewing in my mind for a while now! Inspired partially by [MakotoRitsu's](https://twitter.com/makotoritsu?lang=en) [Fantasy Felix](https://mobile.twitter.com/MakotoRitsu/status/1040889632030908418) and [Cursed Chan](https://mobile.twitter.com/MakotoRitsu/status/1041391929999667201)

The wind rushed through his ears, mingling with the sounds of his heartbeat and the barking dogs that were chasing him. He glanced behind him, seeing nothing but shadows and the vague outlines of trees. He paused for a moment, trying to catch his breath, before he darted off again.

            He continued to run, minutes bleeding into hours, bleeding into sunrise. He had lost track of when he had stopped hearing the dogs and the stomping of feet, but he still wasn’t safe, and he wouldn’t be safe for a long time.

            The faint trickling of a stream could be heard. Seeing the opportunity to take a quick break, he limped in the direction of the water, the pain from his wounds catching up with him now that he was not currently sprinting for his life. He grits his teeth against the agony that plagued his back, rushing as quickly as his aching legs could take him.

            The stream was small, but it would have to be big enough. He could feel the blood caking to his back where the tattered remains of his left wing laid. He knew he had to clean the remains as soon as possible and dress them, or risk infection.

            A scream nearly left his lips as the cold water rushed over the gaping wound on his back. He rubbed off what blood he could with the stream, tears slipping down his face from the sheer pain of it all.

            Soon, he pulled himself out of the icy waters of the stream, crawling up the banks. He tried to stand in order to clear the soft mud around the stream, but he found himself collapsing. Everything just hurt so much. Somehow, he managed to find enough strength to pull himself under a nearby tree, sheltered as best as he could.

            He fell asleep under that tree, absolutely exhausted, not even aware of the hooded figure approaching him.

 

* * *

 

            Felix gasped as he came to consciousness, not quite prepared for the waves of pain washing over his body. Everything ached.  However, he noted that it didn’t feel like he was sleeping on the ground, but rather on a bed.

            He cracked his eyes open, immediately regretting it as sunlight burned his retinas. It quickly screwed his eyes shut, covering them with his hand as an extra safety precaution. When his eyes stopped burning, he opened them slightly, squinting. The sunlight streaming in through the window still burned, but his eyes were slowly adjusting. Just as he was about to remove his hand, he heard a faint giggling.

With a gasp, Felix flung himself back. He hissed at the burning sensation in his left shoulder, but he ignored it in favor of crouching into a more defensive position. His eyes darted around, still not quite used to the light as they tried to find whoever had been in the room.

Leaning against the doorframe, Felix saw another fae. His eyes were closed as he continued to laugh, but his appearance was distinct enough. The pale skin, the icy green hair (although it was a rather unusual color), the small horns protruding from his forehead, the black markings swirling on his face—the man was a winter fae.

 _I’m so fucking screwed_ , Felix thought to himself, his eyes wide in fear.

He continued to back up, a low growl rumbling in his throat. He pressed his back against the wall despite the agony it caused. While it did not provide much protection, at least he wouldn’t have to watch his back for attacks.

“Oh my god that was so cute,” the fae chuckled in the common tongue.

Felix froze, the words taking a moment to process in his mind. While most fae did know the common tongue, they hardly ever used it, and never in the presence of another fae. Felix himself had just barely started learning it, and he was shocked to hear the other speak it so casually.

Felix’s features hardened again, a growl once more rumbling in his throat. It was probably a trick to make him lower his guard.

“Ah, that was good. Thanks for the laugh,” the fae said, his chuckles dying as he cracked open his eyes.

Felix gasped, seeing the fae’s eyes. One was a solid inky black, like all winter fae have, but the other was pure green—just like Felix’s own eyes, and the rest of the summer court’s for that matter.

“ _What are you_ ,” Felix whispered, not even aware that he had spoken as he leaned forward.

The fae just smirked, shifting slightly so he was standing rather than leaning against the door frame. He fully opened his eyes, the full effect mesmerizing.

“I’m Chan,” the fae introduced, his tone more serious, but not hostile.

Felix frowned, settling where he was, more relaxed than he had been before, but ready to run at a moments notice. It didn’t seem like the fae—Chan—wanted to hurt him. He would have had ample opportunity while Felix had been asleep, but nothing appeared to have happened. Still, though, he would rather be safe.

“Felix,” he murmured, his accent thick as he switched to the common tongue.

“Nice to meet you than Felix,” Chan said, smiling. “Now you mind if I changed your bandages?” The fae gestured in Felix’s direction, towards his left shoulder.

Felix stared blankly, not fully understanding what the other had said. He tensed though when he saw Chan gesturing towards him. A small hiss left his lips as he started to inch backwards again.

“ _Woah, woah—I’m not going to hurt you. I was just asking if I could change your bandages_ ,” the other quickly explained, switching to the language of the fae. The pronunciation of a few words slightly odd, but much more understandable for Felix.

Felix paused for a moment, the words sinking in. He discretely checked his left shoulder, noticing that it was in fact bandaged. He looked back to the other’s position, seeing no signs of hostility. He would be dead if he returned to the fae realm, so Felix decided to give the other a chance, shallowly nodding.

Chan slowly made his way towards Felix, his hands held in front of him, open. Felix remained still, tensed and unmoving just in case things went south.

His breath hitched when he felt hands settle on his shoulders, feeling the bandages on his torso unraveling. A gasp escaped his lips when he felt the air touch the remains of his wing, its brother fluttering slightly, cementing the loss of a wing within Felix’s mind—his pride as a fae.

Tears trailed down his cheeks, whether it was the stinging of a salve being put on the gaping would, or the fact that he would forever be an outcast, Felix did not know.

Not a sound escaped his lips as Chan began to wrap a new set of bandages around where his left wing used to be. He shifted his remaining wing, trying his best to make it easier for the other to wrap the bandages. He could have sworn he felt the other wing shift as well, but just as quickly he remembered there was nothing left.

 _“I’m sorry for your loss. If you ever want to talk about it, we would all be willing to listen,”_ Chan murmured as he finished wrapping the bandages.

Felix stiffened, hearing the fae mention that there were others. He had been so absorbed with his wing and the stranger in front of him that he completely ignored the presence of what felt like seven other people nearby.

He was so fucking screwed. Maybe it would have been better if he had gone back to the realm of the fae. At least there he knew the punishment that awaited him for being stupid enough to trust a human. Here though? He had no idea what they were planning on doing to him.

His eyes flickered up, hearing the creak of the bed and the floorboards as Chan moved to stand in front of him. His eyes widened slightly, seeing the other kneel in front of him. The fae were a proud race, and to submit yourself before another was almost unheard of, and yet this hybrid of a fae—one that looked like a winter fae no less—was submitting as easily as water flowing through a stream.

 _“Fear not little bird, you will be safe so long as you are under my care,”_ Chan murmured, placing a gently finger between Felix’s eyes. “ _For now, sleep_.”

* * *

 

When Felix next woke, he was alone. The sky was darker, however there was still light outside. He let out a small yawn, uncurling from where he had been lying on his right side. His solid green eyes looked around the room, finding that he really was alone unlike last time.

Carefully, Felix sat up. He pulled back the covers, turning so his legs were over the side, his feet on the floor. Holding onto the wooden bedframe, he stood on shaky legs, barely able to hold his weight.

On unsteady legs, Felix stumbled towards the doorway. He near fell against the frame, the loss of his wing throwing off his balance. A solemn frown turned his lips down, and his hand tightened around where it was holding the frame of the door, before he let go with a sigh.

His pale green eyes wide, Felix scanned the hallway in front of him. Seeing no one, he slowly made his way down, using the wall as a support to make up for his lack of balance and the unsteadiness of his legs.

The sounds of pots and pans banging about soon filled his ears, paired with the laughter of several people. Felix flinched, using some of his magic to subdue his presence, hoping no one had already noticed him.

Carefully, he popped his head around the corner, observing the room. He gasped, seeing the assembly of creatures sharing what looked to be an open kitchen and a living room. There, longing on the couch, was the fae from earlier and a siren. Most surprising though was the nix and the dragon who were somehow tolerating each other enough to _cuddle_. In the kitchen, he could see an elf and two shifters cooking, and some other humanoid creature.

Several pairs of eyes quickly turned to Felix’s position, hearing the gasp. They all looked startled, not expecting to see the new stray Chan had taken in.

His eyes wide, Felix stumbled back into the hallway, trying to escape the eyes of those gathered in the room. His eyes darted around, making sure no one was following him as he darted back to the room he had been sleeping in. Felix crashed into the wall beside him in his haste, his balance thrown off by his missing wing. Not wanting to waste time escaping by standing back up, Felix quickly crawled the rest of the way to the bedroom, the sound of his wing dragging along the floor causing his heartrate to increase further.

As soon as he was back in the room, Felix darted under the bed, not wanting to risk his safety by being seen again. He curled up against the wall, making sure he could still see the bottom of the doorframe from his new position.

And he waited.

* * *

 

Chan carefully crept into his room, his feet magicked to not make as sound so as not to wake the boy that was curled up inside. He glanced around the bare room, seeing no signs of the boy. He must be hiding then.

He glanced around the room and noticed the tip of a wing poking out from under the bed. He had found his newest charge.

Chan made his way over to his bed, crouching down to peak underneath it. There, curled into the corner, with a wing stretching out in protest to the cramped conditions, was the fae boy he had saved. Chan smiled, admiring how peaceful the boy looked asleep, and not the usual distressed features he had grown used to seeing.

_He had found the other after leaving the closest village to him for supplies, passed out under a tree with dark green blood smeared along his face and pooling underneath him. In the distance, Chan remembered hearing the barking of a pack of dogs and he felt the auras of a large group of humans approaching—hunters._

_He had quickly gathered the other into his arms, expecting to have to figure out how to cradle the young fae without stressing the other’s wings, when he realized the boy only had one wing. As he cradled the boy, he felt his shirt start to soak through, blood staining his shirt from the gaping hole where a wing had once laid._

_He grit his teeth, trying not to actively seek out those approaching who had just ruined this poor boy’s life. A fae’s wings were their pride—something they had that most other humanoid creatures did. A freedom most never knew existed. The patterns and colors so beautiful they could have only been created in the fae realm. And those hunters had just gone and stripped a poor fae—a summer fae no less, the court that didn’t go out of their way to main humans and were actually known to help on occasion—of his freedom and isolated him from his people. The fae realm would never take back someone they view as a disgrace, after all it had been lowly humans would had stripped him of his wings, and he would be lucky if another fae decided he was worthwhile enough to keep as a servant._

_Chan had quickly run away cradling the fae in his arms. As soon as he hit a large enough clearing, he launched himself into the air, his strong wings pulling him up into the air. He could feel the strain in his muscles, not used to the extra weight as he pushed himself to gain altitude, only able to relax when he was high enough for the air currents to ease his journey._

_He flew for what felt like hours, worried about the small fae cradled in his arms. He couldn’t feel the blood soaking into him any further, but he didn’t know if that was because the wound closed, or if his shirt was just too wet to tell._

_Seeing the house he had built in the distance, Chan manipulated the winds with his magic, trying to get them there faster. When they were close enough, he tucked his wings in, diving towards the house, opening his wings in a split second when they were close enough to the ground so that the air could lift them and allow for a safe landing._

_He had rushed inside the house, startling Jisung who had been making dinner for his small family. He saw Changbin peak his head around from where he had been sitting in the living room. The rest of Chan’s family slowly grouped around him, startled by the clattering of the door and the bloody fae cradled in their leader’s arms._

_“Somebody draw a bath and grab some bandages,” Chan had panted out._

_Hyunjin was quick and left to gather water to clean up the fae. Changbin went with the nix, ready to warm up the water when needed. Woojin, Chan’s ever trusty friend, left to grab bandages and the other medical supplies the boy would probably need._

_The others just stared, mesmerized by the new fae. The only fae they had ever met before had been their leader, and the boy cradled in his arms was so different looking in appearance. He had no horns, and his face appeared to be swirled with white instead of black, well what they could see of it under the drying green blood. His build seemed to be smaller than Chan’s, and the wing they could see had a different shape than their leaders._

_“What’s wrong Chan? Who are you carrying? What’s going on?” Minho asked, his milky eyes wide as he tried to understand what had everyone in such a fuss and why his leader was with a stranger._

_“Channie brought someone back—he’s hurt,” Jisung muttered next to Minho, his eyes wide in shock and his voice monotone._

_When he saw Hyunjin’s head peak out from their bathing area he darted over there, motioning for Woojin to follow. He gently set the fae boy down, near ripping his shirt off in an effort to clear the area of the wound. He grabbed the rag someone handed him and dunked it in the warm water, gently scrubbing off the drying green blood._

_He gasped when he saw the full horror of what had happened to the poor fae. The majority of his left wing was torn off, but parts of the base remained. Tattered chunks of what remained of his wing plastered against his back, some of the remains falling off as he scrubbed away the blood that had allowed them to remain._

_“Woojin, I’m going to need you to be ready with the bandages,” Chan said gravely, glancing over his shoulder as he finished cleaning the blood off of the boy._

_Woojin nodded and gently crouched behind Chan, ready to help when needed. He watched in slight horror as his friend concentrated, the remains of the other’s poor wing being ripped from his back. He stood still for a moment, before rushing forward to help put pressure on the wound. He hummed softly, making sure the boy stayed calm in his unconscious state. When the bleeding stopped, he gently helped wrap the bandages across the boy’s back._

_Small whimpers could be heard as Chan carefully gathered the boy back into his arms. He frowned, carrying the boy back to his room to let him sleep and heal._

Chan shook his head as he remembered the night he had first met Felix, a frown marring his features. He was still upset with the state he had found the boy in, the only thing stopping him from hunting down the vile humans that had hurt the boy and potentially many other creatures was the fact that Felix still needed someone to care for him right now, whether he wanted it or not.

Using some of his magic, Chan lifted the bed off of the ground, allowing for him to go in and grab the sleeping boy. He gently cradled him, pulling him out from the corner he had curled up in. Felix now moved, Chan moved the bed closer to the ground and released his magic, a soft _thump_ filling the room as the bed touched back down on the floor. Chan hummed as set the boy down, careful of Felix’s back as he tucked him in.

He smiled, before turning away and walking back out into the living room. It didn’t look like it had changed much in the time it had taken him to help the fae boy. Minho was still curled on the couch sleeping, and Changbin was still reading by the fire.

Chan crept towards the dragon, his feet still magicked to not make a sound. Changbin jumped, realizing Chan was now beside him.

“What the fuck dude,” the dragon growled out, his voice raspy as he glared at Chan.

Chan just laughed and slung his arm around the feisty dragon, knowing no harm would come to him after all the years he had known the boy. Changbin may be a dragon, but he was a big softie at heart, despite what his appearance suggested.

“Aw come on Binnie,” Chan playfully whined, draping himself further over the dragon. “Where did Hyunjin go?”

Changbin just huffed and moved over, allowing Chan to sit down beside him. He put down the book he had been reading, shifting the round glasses he had been wearing to sit on top of his head.

“He went out to the spring—his skin was getting really dry,” Changbin answered.

Chan hummed. That made sense. He was honestly surprised Hyunjin hadn’t gone to the water sooner, with how long he had been out this time. He would have to have a talk with the boy, and make sure he wasn’t pushing himself too far to stay with them. They were all different and he really hoped Hyunjin hadn’t gotten back into the mindset of putting others wants before his own needs.

“Don’t stay up too late waiting for him. He’ll be back by morning at the latest.”

Changbin sent him a soft smile, before he went back to reading his book. Chan watched the patterns that flickered over the other’s face, the light dancing over his scales and making his eyes faintly glow. Slitted pupils quickly darted about eyes that were colored like the fire in front of them, devouring the words on the page. Changbin really was striking, even in his human form.

They stayed like that for a while—Changbin reading and Chan observing different things in the room, trying to take his mind off of recent events. Eventually, he stood up, giving Changbin back his seat as he made his way over to Minho. He gently picked the elf up, carrying him to the room that he shared with Jisung.

When he walked back out into the living room, he saw that Changbin had gotten up. He gave the other a small wave, watching as the dragon put out the fire with a flick of his wrist. Chan smiled in thanks, his eyes immediately adjusting to the dark as he watched Changbin make his way back towards the room he shared with Changbin.

Chan hummed softly to himself, grabbing the throw blanket from the back of the couch and grabbing one of the nearby pillows. He curled up on the cushions, fidgeting around until he found a comfortable spot, where he fell into a very fitful sleep.

* * *

 

Felix woke the next day and gasped in surprise, finding himself back on the bed, rather than under it. He looked around, not expecting to see whoever had moved him but nonetheless looking anyways.

He can’t believe he was so stupid as to allow someone to physically _move_ him.

A soft exhale could be heard as he finished scanning the room, not finding anyone in his range of sight. While normally he would also use his magic to scan the premise, he had a feeling the results would be skewed with the other creatures he had seen living here. Felix slowly sat up, wincing in pain slightly but determined to move. His eyes roamed the room again, a habit instilled into after years of living in the fae realm—everyone was out to fucking get you and it was always better to err on the side of caution—and he was glad he did.

“ _Motherfucker_ ,” Felix exclaimed, once again pushing himself against the wall.

He had been doing that a lot the last few days.

The dragon boy he had seen on his earlier venture was curled up against the wall near the bed he had been lying in. He had been focused on a book, but he turned his slitted eyes up in favor of looking at Felix.

Felix shivered, scared. While he knew that realistically the dragon could have already hurt him if he wanted to (and the people he had seen earlier seemed to trust the dragon—none of them had loosed afraid) that didn’t stop the voice in his head that whispered of villages burned and races slaughtered.

“Well, it looks like sleeping beauty is awake,” murmured the dragon, his voice gravelly.

The dragon tilted his head, his horns lightly tapping the wall, allowing for his gaze to better fix itself on the fae boy on the bed. Glossy black scales covered half his face, edging down. He gulped slightly, seeing the large claws that carefully held the book in the dragon’s hands and knowing that the claws and fangs he himself had could in no way ever compare to the dragon’s.

(Although, in the back of his mind Felix noted that the dragon was rather small. Even in their humanoid forms, dragons tended to tower over everyone, even while sitting. They had a large presence that demanded to be feared. The dragon in front of him though seemed almost soft in a sense, and his aura seemed more amused than anything else. He seemed nothing like the dragons Felix had heard stories of, and he had the feeling that if he stood next to the dragon he would tower over him.)

“I… do not understand,” Felix muttered, his voice slightly higher than normal as he pieced through the common tongue he had learned.

His posture relaxed slightly, not finding an immediate threat in the dragon. He was still wary though and remained ready to move at any moment, not that it would do him much in his current state.

“It is a story humans tell,” the dragon answered, his lips tilting up slightly in what appeared to be a slightly bitter smile.

Felix frowned at the common tongue, still not quite understanding. He could make out a couple of words, but that was it. He had only just started learning it within the fae realm, and even then, it was nothing serious.

“Story?” He repeated, stumbling slightly over the words. “I know not much common language.”

The dragon let out a small chuckle, full of mirth. He placed the book next to him on the floor and gently stood up, making his way towards Felix on the bed. The smile never left his face.

“ _I speak some fae,_ ” the dragon admitted, sitting on the bed. He made sure to keep some distance between him and the fae boy.

Felix blinked in shock, not expecting the dragon to know how to speak his language. The words were accented, and the sentence was fairly basic (much like his own experience speaking common tongue) but it was still undeniably fae.

“Wow,” Felix muttered, not expecting to hear anyone other than the fae Chan speak to him.

Changbin let out a small chuckle, amused with the situation. While most people would have found it creepy—most found the fae’s solid eyes and their too pretty faces dotted with swirls and patterns unnerving—Changbin had years of experience living with Chan and he honestly found the look on the other’s face kind of cute.

“Changbin,” the dragon said, pointing towards himself.

“Changbin,” Felix repeated, his deep voice wrapping around the new name. “Felix,” he added, pointing towards himself.

“ _Nice to meet you Felix_.”

Felix smiled, all thoughts from earlier about staying on the defense thrown out the window. The dragons he had heard of would never bow so low as to speak another creature’s language, so he figured he was safe enough with this one. He didn’t trust him yet, but it didn’t seem like this dragon was super prideful, so he figured he could be less cautious for the time being around him.

“Nice to meet you Changbin,” Felix said slowly, still not used to speaking in the common tongue. 

Felix giggled a little, the sound surprising both him and the dragon if the slightly widened eyes Changbin was giving him meant anything. He couldn’t help though—the other had a really cute accent when speaking the fae tongue.

(Despite the accent though, Felix still couldn’t get over his amazement that a creature other than a fae was speaking his tongue. While he was not an experienced traveler between the realms, everyone and their mothers knew fae was one of the hardest tongues to learn. The syllables danced on the tongue in a way that was near impossible to imitate unless you were a fae yourself, the sounds near musical and hard to reproduce. Not to mention, you couldn’t lie in the fae tongue.)

“ _Uhhh… How are you?”_ Changbin asked, smiling awkwardly.

Felix had a feeling there was nothing for him to be afraid of.

* * *

 

Chan carefully crept into his room, finding Felix already sitting up on his bed, waiting for him. His wing seemed to be doing nicely, the wound had closed and no longer inflamed do to the natural quick healing gifted to the fae. He knew though that the nearly healed wound would leave behind a lot of pain, and not just physical.

It had been a week since he had moved the other from underneath the bed, and he had been pleasantly surprised to find the other had seemed to be growing close with Changbin. It was good for the two of them—he just hoped this meant Felix was willing to become close with his family.

“ _I want you to teach me the common tongue,_ ” Felix muttered unexpectedly, surprising Chan.

Chan blinked in surprise. That had been the last thing he was expecting from the fae boy.

“ _Okay. How much do you know?_ ” Chan asked, figuring that would be a good place to start.

“ _Just how to introduce myself and the basics,”_ Felix said, eyes watching Chan.

“Let’s start with introductions then. I am Bang Chan of the Wandering Souls, bastard of the houses Kwon and Moon.”

Felix blinked, piecing through the common tongue he had heard. A soft gasp left his lips, hearing the houses Chan’s family came from. While the Kwon family was decently high in status in the light fae court (especially when compared to Felix’s own family’s standing), hearing that one of his parents came from the Moon clan of the dark fae was a shock. They were one of the highest clans within the dark court, and even distant relatives held a lot of power within the court. He would have never thought someone within the Moon clan would have a bastard with a light fae.

“I am, uh, Lee Felix the Dammed,” Felix muttered, the words thick on his tongue. He had a bit of difficulty with the title, not knowing if that would be the correct translation of the title that would now forever follow him, telling others his shame of losing to a mere human, but dammed was the only word he could think of. “I am the son of the Lee clan, uh, of the common fae.”

Chan frowned, hearing the title the other used for himself. While he knew that was generally how those shamed were marked from the small time he had spend with his mother, it still hurt to hear someone could think so low of themselves.

“I like Felix of the Lynfuur better,” Chan murmured.

Felix looked confused, not understand what Chan meant. He had never heard that word before.

“What is ‘Lynfuur’?” Felix asked.

Chan hummed, trying to figure out how to describe the flower in the common tongue in a way for Felix to understand. He sighed, giving up and deciding to explain in the fae tongue.

“ _It’s a flower that only blooms once a year at night, and the petals look as if they are decorated with the heavens. You are very beautiful, even for a fae, and you look like you have stars painted on your cheeks, so I thought it was fitting,”_ Chan explained.

Felix flushed, not expecting the compliment. Most of the fae found his freckles to be nothing more than a blemish, and his people were too proud to hand out compliments, especially to a low born like himself.

“Your words are kind Chan, but I am not, uh,” Felix muttered a quick word in his mother tongue, mouthing silently what the equivalent was before speaking, “pretty. My face is not good. There are fae with very pretty faces. Your face is pretty. My face is bad.”

Chan frowned again. While he had just been planning on letting the other fae stay until he was healed physically, it looked like he would have to do more than that if the other was willing. Looks like they really might have a new addition to their family of strays.

Slowly, Chan stood up and made his way to the desk on the other side of the room. He opened a drawer and rummaged through it, grabbing some of the paper in there. He closed the drawer and opened another, grabbing the ink and pen that were inside.

They had a lot to work through.

* * *

 

Felix spent the next few weeks holed up within the bedroom he had woken up in, learning how to speak the common tongue from the fae who had saved him. He found his days filled with lessons on grammar and new vocabulary, and he would whisper the new words to himself at night when he was sure everyone was asleep.

(He also found himself exploring the house at night when everyone had retired for the night. The house seemed warm and homey, but what was most surprising to him was the fact that eight—now nine including himself—different species lived within one space. He could understand Chan living with the banshee, since the banshee were from the fae realm, but the others he had no clue as to why they were all living together. How did the other somehow manage to befriend a half siren, two half changelings, a nix, an elf, and a fucking dragon?)

Slowly, he had found himself becoming friends with the hybrid as well, along with the dragon Changbin who came to visit him every other day or so.

Sitting on the bed, Felix wrapped the blanket around him tighter, pulling his covers slightly up over his head. He lightly tapped his fingers against his leg, the tips of his claws pressing into his skin, but not cutting into it.

“Do you want to meet my family?” Chan asked, speaking slow enough for Felix to easily understand.

Felix blinked slowly, his large green eyes widening. While his speaking still didn’t come as naturally as he wanted, he could now understand for the most part what the other was saying, and he was honestly shocked. He didn’t know how to answer.

After a moment, he nodded his head, the motion slightly slow and hesitant. He figured it was the least he could do for the people whose home he was staying in, even if he didn’t fully trust them or Chan yet.

Chan stared at Felix, his expression turning soft. Slowly, so as not to startle the other fae, he reached a hand out. Felix stared blankly at Chan’s clawed hands, carefully shrugging off his blanket cocoon and grasping the other’s outstretched palm.

(Absentmindedly, he noticed how small his hand was compared to the other. The fae were know for being on the smaller side, but in the back of his head he had been hoping his hands would be bigger than someone else’s for once. Apparently not though.)

Chan pulled Felix up from his bed, making sure to hold on to him as they made their way out into the hall. While he had gotten better, it wasn’t hard to tell that Felix’s balance was now shit as he tried to get used to moving with a missing limb. Chan couldn’t even imagine the pain the other must be feeling right now.

As they approached the living room, Chan could hear the playful banter between Jisung and Minho. He shook his head and smiled—he really couldn’t wait for Felix to meet his family.

When they reached the end of the hallway, Chan gently wrapped his knuckles against the wall, getting everyone’s attention. The room fell silent as they saw their leader, the mysterious fae he had saved darting behind him.

“Guys, I want to introduce you to someone,” Chan murmured softly, stepping away from Felix for the moment so that the people gathered in the room could see him.

There was a moment of silence as the room took in the beautiful boy in front of them, his large eyes widened in slight fear but still not masking his beauty. While they had all heard stories of the summer fae courtesy of Chan—along with general knowledge of the fae courts and their ethereal beauty that every species learned about—they had not expecting the boy to be so beautiful. White freckles dotted his tan cheeks, complementing his solid green eyes and brassy hair. Intricate swirls spanned across his forehead, dripping down the side of his face and neck.

Felix slowly started to back away, nervous about the staring. He kept his head held high, a voice in the back of his head telling him it would not do to let the creatures in the room know he was scared. However, the room soon broke into smiles.

“He’s so cute,” Jisung cooed, making grabby hands.

Felix blinked, not expecting the response. Carefully, he inched forward until he was standing near Chan again, although he was still slightly behind the other.

“Uh, hello. I’m Felix,” he muttered, glancing down.

There was a collective ‘woah’ from everyone but Minho as he talked. He frowned, was there something wrong with the way he had spoken? Chan had been telling him his pronunciation was fine, but there were obviously still problems with in.

“Why the fuck is everyone surprised? Like yeah, his voice is deep, but it’s not that big of a deal,” Minho said from his place beside Jisung on the coach, his milky eyes squinted in confusion.

“Babe, you don’t understand—he has a _babyface_ ,” Jisung stage whispered, his eyes wide.

“Yeah, I have to agree with Jisung on this one. His face doesn’t match his voice at all,” Woojin added. “His bone structure is pretty delicate and small.”

“It’s kind of hot,” Hyunjin muttered from his spot, before quickly letting out a soft ‘ow’ sound as Changbin lightly smacked him.

Felix just flushed, once again hiding behind Chan. Other creatures were weird, and he didn’t know how he felt about this. He glanced up at Chan from where he was hiding, finding the other stifling his laughs.

“Why don’t you guys introduce yourselves? Try to speak a little slower though—he’s still learning common tongue and I don’t want to overwhelm him,” Chan said with a smile, motioning Felix forward again.

“I’m Jisung,” the half shifter on the couch cheered. Felix thought he was probably part squirrel or something.

“Minho,” the guy sitting next to Jisung muttered, raising a hand in greeting. Felix was sure this was the elf he had felt.

“Woojin,” a melodic voice said, nodding in greeting. It was the same guy who had said his voice didn’t match his face and Felix knew this was the half siren he had sensed.

“I’m Hyunjin,” the nix next to Changbin exclaimed.

Felix looked at the couple carefully, trying not to laugh. He never thought he would see the day a nix and a dragon got together, nor the day when a nix was taller than a dragon in human form. It was a story he would like to hear one day, since dragons were proud creatures and nixes hated leaving the water if they didn’t have to.

Changbin just nodded in greeting, glad that Felix was finally coming around to meeting the rest of the family. He knew this was a really big step for the fae boy and he was nothing but proud of the little cutie that their leader had picked up.

“I’m Jeongin,” a voice called out, prompting Felix’s eyes to dart over to the small cute boy that was waving his arms excitedly.

Felix could immediately tell he was the other half shifter he had sensed. He could see a large pair of ears protruding from the boy’s fluffy hair, and a flash of fangs within his mouth. It seemed like this boy was some kind of fox shifter, but it was a breed Felix had never seen before.

“ _Nice to meet you Felix. I’m Seungmin_ ,” said the boy next to the fox shifter. It seems like this was the banshee, although there was a bit of an accent as he spoke which perplexed Felix.

(In the back of his mind he wondered if the banshee was raised outside of the fae realm. While he had never heard of that happening, there was nothing else he could think of to explain the slight accent. It would make sense too from what he could see of the group—they seemed to be a collection of strays. The nix that didn’t love the water, the small fully-grown dragon, a banshee who wasn’t from the fae realm, a blind elf, three half breeds, and a hybrid leader. None of them fit in. And at this point, Felix realized he didn’t really fit into his old world either.)

“Uh, I am very happy to meet all of you,” Felix said shyly, his voice becoming deeper as his nervousness grew.

“How in the fuck?” Jisung whispered from his place on the couch, his eyes widened in disbelief.

At that point, Chan finally lost it. He covered his mouth, his melodic laughter filling the room as he bent over, clutching his stomach. Felix pouted, not understanding what Jisung had meant or why Chan was laughing.

“I don’t understand,” Felix murmured, confusion crossing his features as he tried to piece together what was going on.

His eyes darted around—not that anyone could tell with his eyes being a solid color, something Felix was inherently grateful for—trying to see is there was anything that could clue him in as to what was going on.

“Your face is very cute little Lynfuur, but your voice is scary. They just don’t understand how your voice is so low,” Chan explained, ignoring the knowing look from Minho and the soft ‘Channie’s whipped’ from Seungmin. He was raising heathens.

Felix flushed, not expecting the compliments. It was still strange that someone from a higher class than him, even if it was from the winter court and he was an illegitimate half breed, complimented him as if it was nothing.

“Would you rather I talk like this?” Felix asked in a high-pitched voice, figuring he could have some fun out of this.

The entire room lost their shit, including Chan. There was no fucking way that that boy held the voice of a demon and a literal child. It just shouldn’t be possible.

“What the fuck…”

Felix spent the rest of the night getting to know Chan’s family. It was an interesting experience for him, seeing that all of what had been ingrained in him from a young age about other creatures wasn’t entirely true.

They had been talking for a while, allowing for Felix to improve his common tongue and to figure out more about the strange family Chan had. Felix could see the sky grow darker as the room filled with shadows, illuminated only by the fire in the living room. Yawns could soon be heard, and Felix watched as everyone but Chan slowly filed back to their rooms to sleep for the night.

He glanced up to Chan, wondering what they would do next now that everyone else had left. He watched as Chan pulled out a blanket and a pillow from a cupboard in hallway, setting them gently on the couch before turning to Felix.

“Want me to walk you back?” He jokingly asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

“You sleep on the coach?” Felix asked, confused. He has always assumed Chan had his own room to sleep in.

Chan sent him a questioning glance. Did Felix really not know?

“Yeah,” he answered.

“But don’t you have your own room?”

Chan just stared at Felix. He sighed, laughing lightly as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He really couldn’t believe that Felix still hadn’t figured it out.

“Where do you think you’re sleeping, Lynfuur?” He asked, still chuckling.

Felix stared at him confused, piecing together the sentence. When he finally understood, a deep flush stained his cheeks, his large green eyes widening. A slew of apologies escaped his lips. He honestly felt really bad, because there was no way that coach was comfortable enough to spend weeks sleeping on.

(Not to mention that wings were a bitch to sleep with. Felix didn’t know how Chan managed to fall asleep at night with his wings. Felix could never get comfortable when he slept in small spaces, and his wings weren’t even that big compared to those of the winter fae and Chan. Hell, Felix still struggled to get comfortable sometimes, and he only had one wing now.)

“You can have your bed back Chan. I’m smaller, I should fit on the couch,” Felix offered, feeling guilty.

“No, I don’t mind. You need the bed more than I do,” Chan quickly said, waving his hands in a ‘no’ motion to tell Felix he really didn’t mind crashing on the couch for the indefinite future.

“Then, sleep in the bed with me,” Felix said firmly.

Chan blinked, surprised at the offer. He had heard of fae customs from his mother, and this was highly unusual for a fae to say. Even those in the summer court almost never offered to do something for someone else’s benefit and expect nothing in return. Not to mention sharing a bed with someone was a major sign of trust among the fae—you never knew what someone would do to you when you had your guard down, so it was better to just avoid situations like that altogether was what he had learned from his mother.

“Are you sure Lynfuur?” He asked, his voice soft.

Felix gave a small nod. Chan somehow knew Felix was looking away from him, despite there being no visible signs of it.

Chan blushed, not expecting the level of trust the other fae was giving him, but over the moon at the fact that Felix _did_ trust him that much. It really meant a lot that Felix was opening up to him and his family.

With his eyes downcast, Felix grabbed Chan’s hand, his grip light. Chan looked at their linked hands, before glancing at Felix, finding the other’s eyes to be everywhere but on him. With small steps, Felix led the way back to Chan’s bedroom. The hallway seemed ominous and long, but Felix was determined.

When they reached the room, Felix dropped their hands. Without looking back at Chan, Felix walked over to the bed, crawling over the mattress until he was as close to the wall as possible. He curled up on his left side, glad that his back was healed enough for him to once again sleep on his left side. Carefully, he curled his remaining wing over himself, trying to take up as little space as possible.

Felix felt as the bed shifted, adjusting for Chan’s weight. A soft gasp left his lips, before he mentally berated himself. He had been the one to offer this sleeping arrangement, he shouldn’t be scared that Chan was lying down next to him.

“Sleep well Lynfuur,” Chan murmured, curled on his side with his back to Felix, his wings awkwardly stretched between them.

“Good night Chan,” Felix replied, finally relaxing.

The morning found Chan with Felix curled up against him, his head on Chan’s chest. Chan let out a small smile, brushing a few strands of hair away from Felix’s face, admiring the dusting of white freckles across the boy’s cheeks. Felix really was beautiful, even for a fae.

Gently, so as not to disturb Felix, Chan inched his way out from underneath the other. He made sure to tuck Felix back in, knowing the other wouldn’t be up for a long while. He was really glad that Felix was starting to trust them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Lunch could wait for now, when they had forever to spend with each other."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might make a series out of this. Let me know in the comments if you would like that!

Felix walked into the living room, tired. He yawned, his wing stretching with him as he reached his arms up, trying to wake up. He cracked open his eyes, a small slit of green visible. A loud thump filled the room, followed by the clatter of claws across the floor.

Felix sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. It was too fucking early for this.

Jisung crashed in front of him in squirrel form, chattering quickly before racing off to another corner of the room, likely hiding. A quick blur darted past, a small fox following Jisung. It looks like it was going to be one of _those_ mornings.

On silent feet, Felix made his way to the couch, sitting down. He curled his legs up, not wanting his feet to get cut up by little claws. For the same reason he lifted his wing, making sure it was off the floor and instead stretched out across the couch.

He honestly had no idea how Minho put up with Jisung.

Felix spent the next hour watching Jeongin and Jisung chase each other around the house. He had been living with them for months now and he still had no idea where either of them got that much energy from.

It was nice though in a way. They were all so different from the fae he had grown up with, and they really were helping him grow. He was still honored that fate had allowed him to become a part of this family.

A small chuckle left his lips as he watched a spoon fly into the room, the loud clatter startling the two half shifters. They broke apart, glancing up and seeing a grumpy Minho standing in the doorway that lead to the kitchen.

“Jisung I swear to the gods if you wake me up one more time like this your ass is grass,” Minho threatened, holding another spoon.

Felix tried to keep a straight face, he really did, but soon his cackles filled the room. Jisung slowly shifted back to his regular form, his ears pinned back in embarrassment as he scowled at Felix.

Minho carefully made his way to the couch. Not wanting his wing to be sat on, he folded it back up as much as he could, the tip reaching the floor now that it was somewhat safe. Once Minho was comfortable, Jisung got on the couch beside him, curling into his boyfriend’s side and placing a light kiss against his jaw as an apology for waking him up. Felix made a gagging motion towards Jeongin, teasing the couple.

A couple of minutes later, heavy footfalls could be heard. A sleepy Seungmin soon entered the room, settling himself into one of the free armchairs. Jeongin hopped into the other’s lap, not wanting to shift back. Still half asleep, Seungmin began to gently fox.

Felix had to admit, Jeongin could be awfully cute when he wanted to. At this point, they were all platonically whipped for him.

They spent the next hour or so talking. Felix had greatly improved his common tongue, and he was so thankful that Chan (along with Seungmin and Jisung at times) were willing to help him learn. While there was a lot he still didn’t know, he could now comfortably talk with all of his family.

It really was nice, having a family that loved him for him for once.

* * *

 

The next time Chan told the group he was going into the human village to gather supplies, Felix volunteered to go with. While he loved their house and the surrounding land, he wanted to explore. He had never stayed in the Middle Realm for long, and he figured it was finally time to see more of where he now called home.

(Not to mention, he wanted to get over his fear of humans. He knew not all of them were bad, but there was still fear settled deep inside of him after what had happened the last time he had interacted with humans. He wanted to forget about that as soon as possible—it would do no good for a fae like him to spend the rest of his nearly immortal life dwelling on some stupid fear.)

“You can come with, sure. I’m going to have to carry you though,” Chan said from where he was standing in the middle of the clearing in front of their house.

Felix flushed and shuffled his way closer to Chan. He tucked his wing in against his side, and overall just made himself small, trying to show Chan that he was willing to be carried without having to actually verbally tell him because that would be embarrassing as fuck.

“You really are cute,” Chan said, laughing lightly as he walked over and ruffled Felix’s hair.

Felix lightly smacked Chan, not expecting the compliment. He turned away, his back to Chan as his cheeks flushed a darker color. The other fae really could be embarrassing at times, not that Felix didn’t love the attention though.

Felix was about to turn back around to face Chan (his face was no longer quite so bright) when he felt arms cup his back and support his knees. He squeaked as his was lifted, not expecting to be so suddenly cradled within Chan’s arms. As soon as he was stable, he buried his face into Chan’s neck, not wanting him to see the returning blush.

God that was embarrassing.

“Chan don’t do that,” Felix whined into his neck, flustered.

Felix just got another laugh out of Chan before he felt the other tense, holding on to him tightly as he sprung off the ground. The steady flaps of Chan’s wings filled the air as he got them airborne, taking them high enough to where he could ride the currents comfortably.

Not that he would ever admit it, but Felix was jealous. Chan definitely took after his winter court ancestry. Felix could see it in his markings, in his build, in his wings. All of Chan screamed of the strength of the winter court.

While he was a proud summer fae, Felix had always dreamed of the strength of the winter court. They made great warriors and could fly what seemed like forever without tiring. He would never trade his lineage for the world though, even now that he could no longer fly. He was still faster than everyone in his house, and the magic of the summer court was unparallel.

A soft gasp left Felix’s lips as he turned his head from Chan’s neck, feeling the air around them. While it wasn’t quite the same as flying, it was as close as he was ever going to get again. A choked sob left his lips next, for he wasn’t prepared for the wave of nostalgia that hit him. He really missed flying. He wouldn’t cry though, for the loss of his wing was what led him to his new family.

“ _This is nice_ ,” he whispered, knowing Chan wouldn’t be able to hear him.

As they flew Felix adjusted the air currents with his magic as needed, making sure the flight was as easy for Chan as possible. Despite being built like a winter fae, Felix knew how tiring flights could be when you had to carry someone (even if they were a fae, who were all built light enough to fly), not to mention how awkward it could be.

Felix felt a light squeeze against his body where Chan was cradling him. He glanced up, seeing a soft expression in Chan’s eyes that he couldn’t really identify.

“We’re almost there little Lynfuur,” Chan said, his voice rumbling in his chest against Felix’s side.

Felix looked out from where he had buried his head in Chan’s next, watching as the forest became sparser, the hint of smoke rising in the distance. He felt as Chan slowly began his descent, his wings beating with a powerful control.

They landed in a clearing near where Felix assumed the village was. Chan slowly oriented himself so he was standing, gently setting Felix back down on his feet when he was stable enough. Felix wobbled, his balance while better, was still shit because of his wing.

He watched as Chan slowly started walking in a northern direction, carefully picking his way over the roots and branches that littered the forest floor. Felix trailed slowly behind the other fae, keeping a careful eye on things he could trip over—that was the last thing he wanted to do right now.

After a few minutes of walking, the sounds of busy humans reached his sensitive ears. His eyes flitted to Chan, seeing he had yet to put up a glamor despite how close they were to the town. Felix frowned, but remained in his natural form, content to follow Chan’s lead for now.

Slowly, the ground littered with roots turned into bare dirt and then into cobbles. Felix gently grabbed on to Chan’s arm as they made their way through town—he was also still slightly confused about them not using a glamor, but he figured it was just because the town already knew Chan—just in case he was to trip over one of the uneven stones. Losing a wing really fucks over any sense of balance he had ever had.

They walked towards a gathering of humans, loud shouts filling the air as they bartered for goods, mothers shushing children as they tried to take home enough food to feed the family for a week. Felix flinched slightly at the amount of noise, having never been around more than one human at a time (except for the hunters that had destroyed his life, but he didn’t want to think of that). Sure, the boys at home were loud, but all of them had sensitive hearing—especially Minho—so they at least kept it at a reasonable loud.

He felt the stares almost as soon as they entered the market, eyes branding him where he stood. He ducked his head, his hand immediately grabbing on to the back of Chan’s shirt so he wouldn’t get lost.

Felix watched as Chan smiled brightly at the locals, chattering with them in rapid common tongue as they passed by stalls that seemed to be familiar with the fae. No matter where they went though, Felix could still feel the eyes.

“Stay here little Lynfuur,” Chan said affectionately, pulling Felix to the side and stopping him in front of a fruit stall. “I need to go grab something.”

Felix nodded, his green eyes widened. He blinked, watching as Chan disappeared into the crowd. There went his lifeline, and the only thing keeping the stares at bay.

As soon as Chan was swept into the crowd, they swarmed. Felix stared in shock as several men walked up to him, and even some women too, leering. Their eyes were twisted maliciously, and all Felix could think of were the hunters and the agonizing pain of a limb being torn off and the fear of being able to do nothing but run and hide.

“What do we have here,” one of the men cooed, his voice anything but pleasant.

“Looks like the poor little faerie lost a wing,” chimed in one of the girls, followed by a shrieking laughter.

Felix took a step back, fear obvious in his eyes. He shook his head slightly, wringing his hands in distress as his claws extended unconsciously, not even fully knowing what they were saying, but knowing it was nothing good.

“Must have been pretty stupid to lose a wing—guess the fae aren’t all they’re cracked up to be,” someone said from the group, although Felix’s couldn’t tell who.

“It’s a shame though—a pretty little thing from the summer court would have sold quite nicely,” added one of the men, slinging an arm around Felix. “He would still sell for a pretty penny though, even if he his damaged.”

Felix shut his eyes, wishing he was home with the boys impressing them with small magics that anyone could do instead of standing there feeling some creep stroke his remaining wing. He flinched when he felt the tug, memories of _that_ night filling his mind.

“Hey, hands off,” a voice shouted, and suddenly the hand was removed from Felix.

A low growl filled the air, the market suddenly silent as they watched the usually friendly fae quiver in anger. His fangs were exposed as he snared, his eyes menacing as he protected Felix. A clawed finger was placed against the chest of one of the men who had been bothering his little Lynfuur, the sharp tip drawing a string of blood.

“If I ever see you touch him again, you’ll see why the winter court is known as the unforgiving court,” Chan snarled out, his claws digging further into the chest of the man in front of him.

He turned to the rest of the group, his fangs still exposed in a threatening manner, a low growl still rumbling in his chest as he placed a silent curse on all that had dared to mock his little Lynfuur or even think about maiming further.

The group bolted, awkwardly making their way through the stock-still crowd. While it had been one thing to tease the fae that had been maimed (after all, the pretty little summer thing must have been pretty weak if he had had an entire wing ripped off), it was another to taunt a perfectly healthy winter fae. They all knew they were lucky to have escaped with their lives considering the winter fae that came to their village must have had a claim on the summer fae.

“Let’s go Felix,” Chan murmured, gently tugging Felix away from the stand. He kept the other boy pressed tight against his side.

They quickly made their way through the stalls, Chan filling up the bags he had bought with food and supplies that were needed at home. While he would rather just take Felix back to the cabin and tell his little Lynfuur that there was nothing wrong with him for only having one wing and that he was extraordinary in everything he tried, he knew he needed to get these supplies.

As soon as they were done with the shopping, Chan dragged Felix out of the market, quickly pulling them towards a clearing that he would be able to leave from. He sent a quick look to the boy. Felix hadn’t looked up once since the incident.

“I hate to ask this Lynfuur, but would you hold the bags while I fly? I can grab some, but…” Chan trailed off, figuring Felix would know what he meant. He really hated to ask this of Felix.

Felix glanced up at the bags, a dull look in his usually vibrant eyes. He frowned but grabbed them from Chan’s hands. He muttered a soft spell, a slight glow emitting from his palms as the bags suddenly disappeared.

Chan gasped, wrapping a steady arm around the woozy Felix as he stared in awe at the lack of bags.

“Did you just teleport our groceries?” Chan asked, bewildered.

Felix just hummed, pressing himself further into the safety of Chan’s arm. He gave a light shrug, not really feeling like answering.

Chan just continued to stare in disbelief. While teleportation spells were not necessarily advanced, they were very energy consuming and focus intensive. While it had only been supplies that Felix had sent back, there was still a very large distance between the clearing they were in and their cabin. Chan could barely teleport himself a few meters on a good day, some objects maybe twice that if he could concentrate hard enough.

“ _You never fail to impress me Felix_ ,” Cham whispered, his lips brushing Felix’s temple.

Felix just hummed, not letting go of Chan. He didn’t make a sound as Chan once again picked him up bridal style, just buried his face once again into Chan’s neck, too worn out from the day and the spell to really do much else.

He really wished he had listened to his instincts and put up a glamour. He should have realized that just because the villagers accepted Chan that didn’t mean they would accept him. He had been stupid and forget all that he had learned growing up about the humans.

It was a long flight back.

As soon as they were home, Felix went straight to bed, too drained to interact with any of the boys. He curled up alone, afraid to sleep in fear of memories haunting his dreams. A silent tear slid down his cheek, pooling on the pillow. Followed by another, and another, and another.

A few hours later he felt the bed dip as someone new laid down. He was pulled into a chest, his face carefully hidden away from the world. He could breathe easy now—he knew he was safe pressed against that strong chest, cocooned in warmth. Felix felt himself finally relaxing, content to spend the night curled up in Chan’s arms.

Just as he was about to drift off, he could have sworn he felt a gentle pair of lips pressed against his forehead.

* * *

 

Over the next few weeks, Felix began to notice things.

Chan would curl up next to him on the couch, even when the room was near empty and there were several spots open for him to sit at. He was almost constantly touching Felix too—whether it was a small hand placed in his lower back as they walked somewhere, or fingers laced through his as they cuddled on the small loveseat, or a comforting presence curled against his back as they fell asleep. Not to mention the small kisses that Chan was always placing on his forehead, or his cheeks, or his hands. Or the constant use of a pet name when everyone else just called him Felix.

He was certain of one thing: Chan liked him, and he most certainly was not opposed to any of it.

A light flush settled over his cheeks as he thought about this, standing right next to Chan. Luckily, the other was in the middle of a conversation with Changbin, so he didn’t notice Felix’s embarrassment.

A light groan filled the room as one of the bedroom doors open, momentarily distracting Felix from his gay awakening. They all glanced over, seeing a half awake Hyunjin stumbling out of the room he shared with Changbin, making his way as quickly as possible into his boyfriend’s arms.

“Oh baby, you’re all dry,” Changbin murmured, concerned.

“Don’t wanna go,” muttered Hyunjin as the tall boy tried to curl up as small as possible in the dragon’s arms.

“But Jinnie,” Changbin whined.

Hyunjin pulled back slightly, pouting at his boyfriend. Now that Changbin had mentioned it, Felix noticed that Hyunjin’s skin was looking rather dry and cracked, some of the scales lining his cheekbones looking as if they were about to start peeling. He didn’t know how the nix managed to stay so long out of the water.

“It’s boring when I go alone though,” Hyunjin continued.

Changbin frowned. Felix saw the torn look in his eyes. While he wasn’t sure exactly what Chan, Changbin, and Jisung all did together, he knew they helped keep the group of strays safe. From what little he had understood of the rapid-fire exchange between Chan and Changbin before Hyunjin had walked out, he figured something important was happening. He wasn’t sure though.

“I can go Hyunjin,” Felix offered quietly, looking down.

A soft gasp filled the room, before there was an excited nix swinging Felix around in a hug. A chocked sound escaped Felix’s lips, not expecting the hug at all.

“Felix!” Hyunjin cheered, finally setting the other boy down.

Felix let out a grunt, grabbing onto the nix to keep from falling. While he had gotten used to moving with only one wing, his balance was still shit.

He looked to the other two, seeing Changbin’s face relax, relieved that Hyunjin was willing to go with someone to rehydrate. He couldn’t quite decipher the look Chan was giving him though—he almost seemed proud? Felix didn’t understand what he had done for Chan to be proud of him.

“Let’s go,” Hyunjin said, tugging on Felix as he started leading them towards the door.

Felix just stumbled along after the nix, sending a slightly panicked look back towards Chan and Changbin. He hadn’t quire expected them to go now, and he had made the offer more to be polite—he meant it, sure, but he didn’t think Hyunjin would actually accept. All he got in response was a thumbs up from both boys.

Luckily for the fae, there was a river located nearby their house. He didn’t think he would be able to make it far through the forest with his wing, especially with the gigantic nix that was tugging on his arm.

The rushing of water soon filled his hears, the sound loud despite him still not being able to see the river. It seemed Hyunjin could hear the water too, if the tug on his arm and quickened pace was anything to go by.

“We’re almost there,” trilled Hyunjin, his voice starting to rise back to its natural whistling pitch that nix’s were known for outside of the water.

Felix just smiled in response, trying to pick up his pace a little to match Hyunjin. Soon, the nix tugged the two into an open clearing. Felix stared in awe, the sunlight dappling through the tree leaves onto the open shallows pooled beside the roaring river looked as if it was out of the fae realm.

“Pretty, isn’t it?” Hyunjin cooed in a question, knowing that he had picked the right spot for him and the fae to hang out at. While it was a little farther from where he normally went, he had had a feeling Felix would like it.

Felix just nodded, his mouth slightly open as he gaped at the open scenery around them. It truly was stunning—something he had never though he would see again.

Hyunjin let out a soft giggle, before he started to strip, tossing his clothes somewhere near the bank. He dove into the water with an elegant arch, leaving nothing behind but a small splash. Felix watched in amazement, laughing a little when he saw Hyunjin’s head break the surface a few moments later, sharp trills filling the air with Hyunjin’s joy.

Seeing there was no harm, Felix left the comfort of the trees and made his way to the shallows by the edge of the river. He carefully waded into the pool until his ankles were submerged, before sitting on the bank. He dared not go any further though, despite Hyunjin making swimming look like the most gratifying activity to ever exist. The fae and water had never mixed well.

Content with his spot on the shore, Felix carefully stretched out his wing, enjoying the feeling of the warm sunlight dancing along. He glanced up, a large smile stretching across his face as he saw a glistening flash of teal as Hyunjin leaped out of the water, gracefully turning mid-air before diving back into the water. It was nice to see his scales and skin were already doing better.

Eventually, Hyunjin came to join him in the pool of shallows. He pulled himself into the pool, careful of rocks as he rested his head on the bank next to where Felix was sitting, keeping the rest of his body submerged.

A soft smile replaced Felix’s grin, only slits of green visible from the way his eyes crinkled in happiness. This was nice—feeling the soft breeze rustle through the trees, watching as the shadows from the leaves shifted on Hyunjin’s face, revealing a mirage of color when the light would finally settle on his scales.

Felix had always though Hyunjin was beautiful—he thought all of them were beautiful in their own way; from their personalities to their unique features, all of them held beauty—but there was something about watching him play in the shallows with sunlight dancing along his cheeks and his arms and his chest, making the healthy teals and blues of his scales and the webbing between his fingers and toes stand out in an ethereal way Felix had never seen in all of his years.

“Why do you live on, uh,” Felix stuttered, not quite able to think of the word he was looking for. He gestured to the ground, hoping Hyunjin would know what he was talking about.

“Land?” Hyunjin questioned.

Felix nodded, hoping that was the word he had been thinking of. While he could hold a pretty decent conversation with the others in common tongue, there were still a lot of words that he didn’t know. It made him frustrated sometimes that he couldn’t fully communicate with the boys—having to resort to hand motions or trying to describe something in the basic phrases he knew.

A pensive look settled on Hyunjin’s face as he thought of how to explain his reasoning for living on land rather than in the water likes nixes were supposed to. A long sigh left his lips as he tried to reason through his feelings that had led him to decide to live with Changbin and the others.

“In the water, there is only water—nothing more. I am bound to only water. But the land—it’s so open, so vast! The land is free,” Hyunjin spoke softly, hoping his message got across.

Felix nodded. Freedom was a feeling he could understand well now that he was grounded. Now that he could never soar the open skies again, or flit through the trees, or do anything but stare up from the ground, forever dependent on others to help him.

He had a feeling that him and Hyunjin were more alike than he had thought. That maybe the ragtag group he had found himself apart of understood him a lot more than he had given them credit for.

* * *

 

He didn’t know how it happened, but a year soon passed like this. He found himself growing closer to all of the members in his family, learning more about them and their struggles as his common tongue improved.

He learned how Changbin was ostracized for being small, how Jisung, Jeongin, and Woojin had all left their homes because no one would accept a half-breed as equal, how Minho was abandoned as a child for being blind, how Seungmin’s entire village was slaughtered because the humans thought they could cheat death and he was the only one left to live.

He also discovered how his not minding the extra attention Chan gave him and turned into him craving affection from the other. He didn’t think he could last a day now without the love he got from the group of misfits he had joined and their leader.

“Chan,” he found himself calling out one night as they laid down for bed.

The other fae turned from where he had been settling, moving so that he could face Felix. Even in the dark, Felix could perfectly see the questioning expression that soon filled the other’s face.

“Yes, Lynfuur?” Chan questioned, his voice deep from tiredness.

Felix paused for a moment, not answering, before he leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss against Chan’s lips. He held still, a smile tugging at his lips as he felt Chan return the kiss.

No words were spoken, for none needed to be. The actions of the fae were just as true as their words, and both now knew that the other acknowledged and reciprocated their feelings, and that they now had nothing to worry about.

Felix knew he was in good hands, from now on until the end of his immortal life.

* * *

 

Felix sat laughing one evening, his fangs flashing as he watched in amusement as he watched Chan, Changbin, and Jisung argue over something while sitting in the middle of their living room. He had long since forgotten what the argument had been about, but Minho’s comments were killing him.

“Hey dumbass, I know you’re part squirrel, but are you really that stupid?” Minho called out, chucking a nearby pen at Jisung and hitting him in the back of the head, effectively ending the argument.

Hyunjin’s laughter soon joined Felix’s from his place in the armchair him and Changbin had originally been sharing. Changbin and Chan quickly joined in as well, effectively drowning out Jisung’s whines.

While at first Felix had been confused by the couple. He didn’t understand how two people who claimed to be in love could argue all the time, or tease and belittle each other. The longer he spent with them though, he realized it was all in good fun. None of their insults were actually serious, and they could actually be quite the cute pair when the mood was right.

He did have to admit, teasing Jisung was fun. The boy had such violent reactions.

He would never tease Minho like Jisung did though. That was a sure death sentence. He didn’t understand how Jisung could survive Minho’s sharp tongue or the other’s innate ability to accurately peg a target with small objectives, even if they were across the room. For a blind person, Minho was scary accurate.

Suddenly, a loud crash could be heard, followed by the thumps of sudden footfalls. A frantic Seungmin darted into the living room, landing heavily against one of the walls. He stood there, panting, his eyes scanning the room.

Felix partially sat up, half standing half sitting. A concerned look tightened his features. Seungmin had been known to hide in his room from time to time and miss meals (they were all guilty of doing this) but he had never seen the other in such a worried condition.

Seeing Felix moved, Seungmin paused before a large smile overtook his features. With quick steps, the banshee was kneeling in front of Felix, clasping the fae’s own small hands between his own. He threw a dazzling grin over his shoulder, although Felix was no less confused by what was going on.

“I finished it guys—I _finished_ it,” the boy exclaimed.

Gasps filled the room as everyone turned to look at Seungmin and Felix. Large smiles broke out onto everyone’s face, but that still did not explain what they were smiling about or why everyone was so damn excited.

“Finished what?” He asked, confused.

Felix looked around the room, not understanding why everyone was getting so excited. He knew Seungmin dabbled in building things on occasion, but he didn’t see why that garnered the response Seungmin’s declaration had revived.

Seungmin looked at him determined, before suddenly grabbing his hand, tugging him off the couch. Felix yelped, stumbling as he was pulled out of the living room, the rest of the group following silently behind them.

Yanking the door open, Seungmin dragged Felix into his room. Felix stood in the middle of the room, Seungmin’s hands on his shoulders as he stood in front of him, blocking his sight of whatever contraption Seungmin was so excited to show him.

“Now, the size may be a bit off, but now that Channie no longer tell me to keep my mouth shut about this, I can measure you properly and fix it,” Seungmin rambled, glancing at the group behind Felix. “I really hope you like it,” he added, before moving to the side.

Felix stared at the contraption in silence, trying to figure out what it was supposed to be. He took a few steps forward, gently picking up part of whatever Seungmin had made off of the table it had been placed on. He ran his hands over the smooth sunset orange film that almost hid what looked like joints made of metal, but not quite.

 He was about to turn and ask Seungmin what he was supposed to be excited about, when it suddenly hit him what he was holding. He was holding a _wing_. Seungmin had made him a wing.

He didn’t even realize he had started to cry but tears soon began to puddle along the film of the wing before sliding to the floor, and soon light sobs could be heard as Felix clutched the wing tighter to his chest.

“While Seungminnie built it, we all had a part in making it,” Jeongin started, his voice carrying softly behind Felix’s crying form. “I chose the color.”

“I made it waterproof,” Hyunjin added.

“I enchanted the metal to be light enough to fly with,” chimed in Minho, his face twisted in slight concern as the boy still continued to cry.

“I helped with the frame,” Woojin continued from his place beside their leader.

“I helped Seungminnie get the materials,” cheered Jisung.

“I helped Chan and Seungmin with the shape, since you know, us three are the only ones with wings and we couldn’t exactly ask you,” Changbin muttered awkwardly.

Felix still stood, clutching the wing to his chest, soft but silent sobs racking his body. An intense wave of emotions thundered in his body—gratitude and love and fulfillment and too many feelings there just wasn’t a name for—and he knew he would never be able to properly express them.

“Felix,” Chan murmured softly behind him.

With a gently sob, Felix placed the part of the wing he had been holding back on the table, immediately burying his nose in his mate’s neck. The scent of home filled his nose as he was held by Chan, surrounded by his family of strays. And in that moment, he knew even if he would never be able to fully voice his love and gratitude for the eight boys standing around him, they would understand.

That didn’t stop him from trying to remind them though.

“Thank you,” he croaked, not knowing what else to say. “Thank you.”

* * *

 

            Felix grumbled as he ran into yet another tree, flipping Chan off as his mate hovered nearby, laughing his ass off at Felix’s expense. This was the third time in the past ten minutes that he had glided straight into a tree, and he was fucking tired of it. He didn’t remember flying being this difficult.

With a sigh, Felix sat back up from where he had faceplanted on the tree, gently standing on the branch he had been lucky enough to latch himself on to. He placed a hand against the tree, not wanting to fall off on accident.

 He had learned the hard way that just because he had two wings again didn’t mean his balance or ability to fly were back. The new wing, while it had been adjusted to match the size of his other and enchanted to be lighter, it still felt awkward. It was just a little too heavy, it didn’t move quite as quickly as his other one, the wind caught it differently—there were just so many aspects he had to get used to with this new wing. Not to mention, he had somehow gotten used to not having two wings, so he was now having to relearn to walk with the extra weight and movement of another limb.

With one last glare sent at Chan, Felix dove out of the tree, snapping his wings open just in time to benefit from the gust of wind down below, allowing him to soar higher. He faltered slightly in the sky, before manipulating the wind current to help keep him stable.

While he had at first tried to fly as he normally would have, he had quickly realized that that wasn’t going to work. Through trial and error, gliding seemed to be what worked best for the new wing.

He had been disappointed to learn this at first. Flying had been his favorite thing to do in the fae realm besides studying magic, and it hurt that he wouldn’t be able to do what he loved. He wouldn’t be able to dart through the trees, or properly race Chan home, or perform the many acrobatic tricks he had learned and impress his mate. There were just so many things that he couldn’t do anymore.

He knew it could be worse though, and he was so fucking grateful that the others had given him the opportunity to at least glide again. The chance to taste the sky and the stars and freedom.

He just had to get better at it, because he knew that maybe someday, he could relearn to do what he loved. Or better yet, learn more from the people he loved.

With careful magic, he adjusted the wind currents and the air to help his gliding be more successful. He stumbled a little in the air, about to drop or drift into another tree before he caught himself. While he had originally thought that adjusting the currents to help him fly would be easy, he had very early on learned that working with a prosthetic was a lot different from working with two real wings.

“You’re doing good little Lynfuur,” Chan cooed from a safe distance away from Felix, not wanting to risk the other falling because he got too close.

Felix just huffed, shaking his head at the other. Chan just smiled, slits of green and black almost unnoticeable to Felix’s sharp eyes. _‘I love you,’_ he saw Chan mouth in fae, and he nearly fucking dropped right then and there.

“Chan,” he whined, his face flushed in embarrassment.

Chan just laughed, tilting towards the side to move away from Felix’s loving wrath. Not like it did much though when your mate was one of the strongest magic users in the house hold. He may or may or may not have had to struggle for a few moments with the sudden lack of moving air currents, but that was a story for another time.

After another hour or so, Felix finally got the hang of gliding. With an excited ‘whoop’ he dove back towards the forest, flitting through the trees. It was no where near the speeds he was used to, but it was no less freeing.

He spent the next few hours gliding above the trees, his clawed fingers brushing against tree tops before he would dive in, his trilling laughter filling the forest. The forest stilled for moment, not a sound to be heard as Felix shared his joy, blessing all who heard.

In the back of his mind he realized that Chan had left him at some point. He could no longer hear the encouraging chuckles or feel the shifting of the wind next to him. He couldn’t find himself to really care though—too busy feeling the heat of the sun on the back and watching how the light passed through the membrane of his wing and danced on the leaves with an orange color.

Gods he had missed this.

The sun had started to go down by the time he started the journey back home. While it had yet to set, it was obviously started its journey down. He was honestly surprised he had stayed out as long as he had, considering Chan had brought them out in the early morning. He hadn’t realized he had already been out here for most of the day.

He knew that realistically he had enough magic to sustain flight for the next few days and then some, and that he could still fly if he really wanted to, but the ache in his back told him otherwise. His right side ached from overuse after such a long time without use, and it was starting to get hard to fly with the sharp pains that stabbed into him every time he shifted his left side, not to mention the pain the prothetelic was unintentionally causing him.

It was definitely time to head home.

The flight back was difficult. Despite making sure to stay near the house, it took him a near hour to fly home with the pain his back and wing joints were radiating. He used a little of his magic to speed up the process, but there was only so much he could do while still getting used to the new wing that wouldn’t make him immediately crash like he had been earlier.

When he finally made it home, he skid into the clearing their home was in, nearly falling flat on his face as he landed. Definitely something he needed to relearn.

With weary legs, Felix near crawled towards where he saw Changbin sunbathing in his dragon form. Letting out a loud groan, Felix collapsed against the dragon’s warm belly, appreciating the wing that was moved to block the setting sun from his eyes. Changbin was a godsend sometimes.

Felix spent the last few hours of daylight curled against Changbin’s large form, exhausted and aching. He pressed as much of his back as he could against Changbin’s stomach, enjoying the way the heat soaked into him and killed much of the pain he was feeling.

“Gods I love you Changbin,” Felix groaned out, his eyes closing in exhaustion.

A throaty grumble was what he heard in response. A soft smile etched its way across Felix’s lips, knowing that the dragon was chuckling.

With a soft sigh, Felix curled up further, content to take a nap. He was nearly asleep when he felt Changbin’s large form shift slightly, making it more comfortable for him to lay against the dragon. His family really was something else.

As twilight began to approach, Felix felt a hand gently shaking him. With a quiet groan Felix cracked his green eyes open, his vison blurry before they settled on the soft smile filling Changbin’s face. He blinked, before he heaved himself out of the comfortable lap he had been sleeping in.

“Welcome to the land of the living, princess,” cooed Changbin, a fond expression on his face.

“Oh, shut up Binnie,” Felix said laughing, gently shoving the other before standing up.

With quiet steps Felix made his way inside the house, knowing Changbin was trailing behind him. As soon as he was inside he looked around the living room, finding Chan waiting for him with open arms and a loving smile.

He was home.

* * *

 

Woojin stood in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room on his face. He had been planning on coming out to ask what everyone wanted to eat for lunch, but the sight of Chan and Felix curled together on the couch, fast asleep in each other’s embrace making him pause.

The two really were cute together—both smiling and looking content as they curled around each other, looking as if they were made to complete the other.

Woojin was really happy for them. He had never expected the leader—and to be honest probably father figure for some of the younger ones—to settle down, but he was really glad for Chan. They were good for each other.

He was really glad to see how much Felix had grown over the years he had been with them as well. They had all found Chan a little broken and had found the pieces they had thought they were missing in the form of love and acceptance from the others in their group of strays and misfits, but he had been worried about Felix.

Everyone knew the fae were different. While most of the other races that had a humanoid form of some sort tended to distance themselves from others, the fae were especially reclusive, not associating with anyone they thought was below them unless they benefitted from the interaction.

He had been surprised at how friendly Chan was when they first met, not understanding why a fae was going out of his way to be nice just because they could. But then he had learned that Chan had been practically raised himself, his mother dying when he was but a mere 30 years old and thus cutting off any communication he would have had with the fae.

He had thought Felix would leave them and return to the fae realm as soon as he could, since it was obvious that that boy was a born and bred summer fae and nothing like their mixed blooded Channie, but he hadn’t. To this day, Woojin still admired Felix, who had put aside years of stigma and had chosen to stay with them, rather than returning back to what he knew.

He had stayed and helped Woojin with the house. He had stayed and helped Minho with his magic. He had stayed and played with Jisung and Jeongin as a cute little spotted cat. He had stayed and made Hyunjin a charm that could help him stay out of the water longer. He had stayed and helped teach Seungmin more of his native language. He had stayed and give Changbin a new friend and flying buddy. But most importantly, he had stayed and given their lonely leader someone to love.

Woojin smiled softly at the pair, grateful for their newest addition and the love he brought to their family. He couldn’t imagine life without the boy now. Without his ethereal bubbling laughs as he made a cringey joke, or the cute little mistakes he would make when he was excited and talking to fast, or the way he would without a word cuddle someone and rub their shoulders with his magic fingers when they were having a bad day.

With a fond expression, Woojin watched as Chan’s eyes blinked open, his face scrunched on in sleep. He saw Chan carefully begin to card his clawed fingers through Felix’s hair, his eyes closing as he fell back asleep, his hand eventually stilling.

Woojin sent them one last look before he quietly left the house, content to find some of the others and let the lovebirds sleep for a little longer. Lunch could wait for now, when they had forever to spend with each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's some notes I made while writing this, just to clear some stuff up about how I was interpreting the mythical creatures. I might expand more if I do a series.   
> \- Fae mate only once in their life, so they are very careful who they chose to be partners with. Many fae never settle down, which is part of why the birthrate is so low and children are kept away from the middle realms.   
> \- Half shifters are placed very low in the shifter ranking order, as they can only shift into one animal and do not have a ‘pure’ form (their animal form is too large they don’t quite have the same natural balance as a regular shifter or animal, and their humanoid forms are not perfect humans—they still have partial traits of the animal they shift into).   
> \- There is a very negative stigma against the fae, so it has become a trophy sport to maim children and young fae among the humans. Fae also sell very high on the market as slaves, even if they are maimed.   
> \- There is a myth that hearing a summer fae’s laugh will leave you blessed with good fortunes for the rest of your life, however no one really knows if this is true or not (and the fae refuse to confirm). Most creatures will quite down and listen even if they don’t believe the myth because of how rare it is to hear the fae’s ethereal laugh.   
> \- Summer fae have more magic than winter fae and are generally faster, however winter fae have more stamina and strength and are built bigger.


End file.
